Ligature for single reed woodwind musical instrument

ABSTRACT

AN IMPROVED LIGATURE IS DISCLOSED WHICH IS SPACED FROM BOTH MOUTHPIECE AND REED TO PERMIT FREER VIBRATION OF BOTH MOUTHPIECE AND REED RESULTING IN RICHER, DARKER, MELLOWER TONERS AND MORE EVEN TONES THROUGOUT THE VARIOUS REGISTERS OF THE INSTRUMENT.

NOV. 9, 1971 T 3,618,440

LIGATURE FOR SINGLE REED WOODWIND MUSTCAL TNS'TRUMENT Filed March 16,1970 INVENTOR JACKIE L. RATTERREIZ United States Patent Office 3,618,440Patented Nov. 1971 3,618,440 LIGATURE FOR SINGLE REED WOODWIND MUSICALINSTRUMENT Jackie Leo Ratterree, 347 E. Loma Vista, Tempe, Ariz. 85281Filed Mar. 16, 1970, Ser. No. 19,934

Int. Cl. Gd 9/02 US. Cl. 84-383 1 Claim This invention relates toan-improved ligature for a single reed woodwind instrument."

The first ligature for a woodwind instrument known to i the prior artwas simply a piece of strong cord wound tightly around the mouthpiece ofthe instrument and the reed in place on the mouthpiece. Indeed, thismethod is still in use with minor refinements on certain double reedinstruments. A substantial advance'in the art occurred when a ligaturecomprising a metal band which could be tightened or loosened by screwmeans was used to secure the reed to the mouthpiece. In more recenttimes, plastic materials have been introduced as alternative to themetal band. i

, It is also known to the prior art to introduce a spacer between theligature and the, reed to permit the. reed to vibrate more freely. Therewere still problems, however. The tonal qualities of the single reedwoodwind instrument a replacement or an Accordingly, it is an object ofthis invention to provide an improved ligature for a single reedwoodwind instrument.

It is, morespecifically, an object of this invention to freethermouthpiece of a single reed woodwind instrument to vibrate morefreely.

In another aspect it is an object of this invention to even out thetonal characteristics of high, low and medium registers, to make thehigher registers easier to-attack by the instrumentalist and thus impartmore confidence to the instrumentalist, enabling him to relax more whileperforming.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent to personsskilled in the art from a consideration of the disclosure herein and thedrawings attached hereto in which:

, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the ligature of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mouthpiece with a reed secured inplace by this invention;

FIG. 4 is a view of the device of FIG. 3 taken along the line 4-4.

Briefly, I provide a ligature for resonantly securing a reed to themouthpiece of a single reed woodwind musical instrument. The ligaturecomprises: a holding means for securing the reed to the mouthpiece of asingle reed woodwind instrument; means for spacing the holding meansfrom the reed to permit freer vibration thereof; and means for spacingthe holding means from the mouthpiece to permit freer vibration thereof.

were still thinner, reedier and less resonant than optimum.

Instrumentalists desired a fuller, darker, richer and mel lower sound.The extreme upperand lower registers of woodwind instruments tend to bediflicult to play in, and sensitive adjustments of embouchure must bemade to even out the tonal characteristics of the scales and make themmore nearly uniform to the middle register. The technical difficultiesof playing in these extreme registers have a tendency to rob someperformers of confidence in playing in these ranges. Consequently, suchperformers display a lack of authority in attacking the extremeregisters which impairs their technique.

I have discovered that, contary to the teaching of the prior art, it ismore important to make it posible for the mouthpiece to vibrate freelythan it is to free the reed for further vibration. Even in thecontemplation of the former art, the ligature provided a great deal offreedom of vibration for the reed inasmuch as the area of contact was atthe dense end of the reed and the thin vibrating portion was free tovibrate. However, the restraining influence of band-type ligatures whichtightly bound the circumference of the mouthpiece greatly inhibited thevibration of the mouthpiece itself. In the prior art ligatures, themouth piece vibrations were damped at three points along its relativelyshort length: at its base where it fits into another portion of theinstrument; at the point where the ligature binds it tightly; and at itstip which is restrained by the upper teeth of the instrumentalist. Thereed is fastened at only one point near its large end and the tip isfree to vibrate against the lower lip of the instrumentalist. Thus,because of the relationship between embouchure and ligature andinstrument, the reed has always been freer to vibrate than themouthpiece. The mouthpiece is the resonating chamber where soundoriginates in a single reed instrument, and while vibrating to someextent it has not been free enough to produce the full rich soundsdesired by musicians.

I also provide the ligature described above wherein the holding meanscomprises a strip of flexible substrate adapted to encircle themouthpiece and the reed in position for use on the mouthpiece, saidstrip having an inside surface nearer the mouthpiece and an outsidesurface, and means for drawing together and securing the ends of theflexible substrate. The means for spacing the holding means from thereed comprises a plurality of first spacers for holding the reed inplace relative to the mouthpiece, the spacers depending from the insidesurface of the substrate approximately midway between the ends thereof,such that the reed is spaced from the inside surface of the substrateand thus vibrates more freely. The means for spacing the holding meansfrom the mouthpiece comprises: one or more second spacers disposed atthe ends of the substrate, the spacers adapted to space the insidesurface of the substrate from the mouthpiece and thus permit themouthpiece to vibrate more freely; and a plurality of third spacersdepending from the inside surface of the substrate and disposed betweenthe first and second spacers, the third spacers being adapted to spacethe inside surface of the substrate from the mouthpiece and thus permitthe mouthpiece to vibrate more freely.

I also provide the ligature described above wherein the first spacerscomprise inwardly directed elongate flanges disposed substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the substrate atapproximately the midpoint of the substrate. The second spacers compriseinwardly directed elongate flanges disposed substantially perpendicularto the longitudinal dimension of the substrate, the flanges dependingfrom the inside surface of the substrate, and the third spacers compriseinwardly directed elongate flanges depending from the inside surface ofthe substrate and disposed approximately midway between the first andsecond flanges.

Attention is now invited to the drawings. In FIG. 1 the substrate 2 ismade from polyamide, commercially sold as nylon. Other plastic materialswill do quite nicely, but nylon is preferred because of its toughnessand durability. Cooperating first flanges 4 are, in this embodiment,integrally molded with the substrate 2 and depend therea grippingsurface-which will hold the reed in place'with a minimum of surfacecontact. The inwardly directed second flanges 6-, in cooperation withopposed third flanges 8, space the substrate 2 from the mouthpiece 12with a minimum of surface area contact between'substrate 2 andmouthpiece 12. This prevents a minimum of vibration damping contactbetween mouthpiece-12 and ligature 1, inasmuch as little area of theinside surface of the substrate 2. is in contact with the'mouthpiece 12.Tabs .14 and 16 are integrally formed" at'the ends of the substrate '2.The tab 14 is tapped to receive the threads of a screw 18 which servesas a means of loosening and tightening the ligature 1. Tab 16 has-asmooth bore 20 which does not engage the threads'22 of the screw 18. Ihave found it preferable to situate "the portion of the ligature 1 Wherethe ends of the substrate 2 are drawn together at the point on themouthpiece .30 opposite the reed 40. This is purely a matter ofpracticality inasmuch as the ligature 1 is easier to adjust and theadjustment interferes less with the positioning of the reed on themouthpiece when the screw 18 is on the side opposite the reed 40.

Having now fully described my invention and the presently preferredembodiment thereof, I claim:

1. A ligature for resonantly securing a reed to the mouthpiece of asingle reed musical instrument comprising:

(A) a single strip of flexible material adapted to encircle themouthpiece and fix the reed in position for use on the mouthpiece, saidstrip having first and second ends defining a longitudinal dimension,said strip further having an outside surface and an inside surfacenearer the mouthpiece than said outside surface; I

(B) first and second spaced apart elongate flanges depending radiallyinwardly from said inside surface approximately midway between saidfirst and second ends for holding the reed in place on the mouthpiecesuch that the reed is spaced from said inside surface, each of saidfirst and second flanges extending perpendicularly to said longitudinaldimension;

(C) means for drawing said first and second ends together consisting offirst and second integral tabs extending outwardly from said first andsecond ends, said first tab being tapped to receive the threads of ascrew and said second tab having a smooth bore, and a,scr ew with a,threaded portion dimensioned to pass through said smooth boreandthreadably engage saidj firstj tab and a shoulder portion dimensioned tostop. against said second tab such that said ends may 'be. selectivelypulled together and loosened by turning-said screw;

(D)first and second raised portions depending-inwardly from saidinsidesurface proximate, respectively, said first and second ends to spacesaid ends front the mouthpiece-,- said -first and second raisedportionsbeing configured to provide substantially line contact withthemouthpiece; 1

.1, (E) -.third and fourth elongate flanges dependingradially inwardlyfrom, said inside surface, said third flange being disposed intermediatebetween 'said first flange and said first raised portion, said fourthflange being disposed" intermediate between said secondflange and saidsecond raised portioneach of said third and fourth flanges extendingperpendicularly-to saidlongitudinal dimension;

; (F) said single strip, said flanges, said raised portions and saidtabsconsisting of an integral unit of flexible,plastic material.

References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,292,584 3/ 1942 Tafarella s43s3 2,669,897 2/.1954 Topor 84-383 x 2,791,929 5/1957 Bonade 84-3832,337,005 6/1958 Collis 84383 3,410,170 11/1968 'G igli otti 84%3833,433,113; 3/1969 Portnoy 84-383 RIZ'ICHAIRD B. WILKINSON, PrimaryExaminer J F.v GONZALES, Assistant Examiner

